Page 73 of A Beautiful Crime

Carina may proclaim she hates me but her body denies her claims vehemently.

“And do you believe her?” My voice is low, my breath hitting right against her nape. She involuntarily shivers.

Silence ensues and I fear she won’t reply with an answer. Then, her eyes finally drift away from the brilliant stars. She offers me the side profile of her face, her hair of obsidian shielding her eyes. I feel her breath against me as she responds, “In this life can there be light?”

If I was a man who didn’t notice the finite details I would have missed it. There’s a touch of sorrow in her tone. And it flares an ache in my heart.

I press closer to her, our bodies flush, humming with electricity, brimming with desire. My hand is a soft whisper asit trails up her arm. Her breath leaves her. It returns with a soft gasp when my hand finds its rightful place, collared delicately around her throat.

Against the shell of her ear I say, “It can be quite garish, can it not? The light.”

Her breath falters. I feel the flutter of her pulse against my fingertips. And I can only imagine the feel of her pulse when I’m deep inside her.

“You’re opposed to it?” Her voice is barely above a whisper.

My free hand finds purchase on the flare of her hip. She sucks in a breath of air. I smirk in response. “I’m not opposed to it.” I continue the slow erotic exploration of her body as we delve in each other’s minds. My hand travels from her hip to the slight curve of her stomach and makes its ascend to rest right below her breasts. Her breaths are uneven, body molded like clay against my own. “But how can I prefer it when the darkness gives me everything I desire?”

“What you desire is dangerous.”

“And you’ve never desired anything dangerous?” I counter, already knowing the answer.

She swallows thickly. “No.”

I tsk. “Ah, Carina.” I roll her name off my tongue in a seductive purr. Her ass presses up against me as her head lolls back. “My beautiful liar.” I half expect her to pull away with disdain at this point. It’s what she does. Retreats when things become real between us, when it becomes real to her. To my utter surprise and delight she doesn’t. “What is it that has so you so afraid?”

She breathes, “I’m not.”

My fingers flex around her throat. Her breath hitches in response. My cock hardens. “You lie well, mia leonessa , but I can see through you. You are afraid. Afraid of giving into the darkness. You’re afraid that you just might love it.”

Her eyes then make contact with mine. Those beautiful emerald jewels are enough to make a man lose his sanity. “I’ve already given in.”

If she’s referring to six months ago she’s surely mistaken. My hand snakes up from her throat to pinch her chin. Her mouth parts open and it takes everything within me to resist the sweet temptation.

“No,” I disagree, “you haven’t.”

Her eyes flash then, burning bright with anger. And if it makes me a sick man I don’t care, it turns me on. “You know what I’ve done.”

“And what is it you’ve done, Carina?”

She begins to fight my hold but it’s futile. Seeing this she gives up the fight but remains stiff in my arms. No longer clay, back to stone. “Portraying to be dense doesn’t suit you, Signore.”

I pinch her chin harder, and I’ll give her credit, she doesn’t wince. “You see, Carina,” I sneer, “this is why you haven’t given in. You can’t even admit what you’ve done.” She goes to open her mouth but I silence her with a cold look. “And you fight yourself constantly. What is there to fight?”

Her lips purse with irritation.

“Tell me,” I demand in a soft voice.

“You wouldn’t understand,” she spits.

I raise a brow in challenge. “I wouldn’t? I find that very hard to believe, mia leonessa.”

“How can you when you were born in this life? I was thrust into it, unwillingly. And yet you think you can understand? You can’t.”

She may think she wasn’t born in this life but she was. Any child of a Don is born of darkness. As for unwillingly. . . She had a choice. Three matter of fact. On that night she believes was decided for her she had three choices. Kill her brother, in whichshe did. Kill her papa and flee. Or the last, the only way you are truly out of this life, by killing yourself.

I place my fingers on her lips to silence her. Her eyes widen and then narrow on mine. “That’s enough lies told today, Carina.” Reluctantly, I remove myself from her, taking a step away. I feel the cold air in her absence, and I immediately miss the feel of her.

She turns, blinking up at me with those eyes full of questions that she doesn’t want answered.

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